NBIO Presents: Amy Arnsten, PhD (Yale University)
“Dynamic Network Connectivity: The unusual molecular regulation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex confers vulnerability to cognitive disorders”
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) subserves high order cognitive functions such as working memory and abstract thought and the top-down control of attention, action and emotion. However, the dlPFC is remarkably fragile, impaired by fatigue, stress, aging and inflammation, and is dysfunctional in most cognitive disorders. Arnsten’s lab has discovered the unusual molecular mechanisms that govern these circuits, which are essential for generating and sustaining representations in working memory and for coordinating cognitive state with arousal state. However, these same mechanisms can lead to atrophy and tau pathology when dysregulated by stress and/or inflammation. Knowledge of these mechanisms has led to treatments for cognitive disorders in patients.
Health Sciences G328 and Zoom
